Rants and Raves

Category: books

EOY Book Notes

Looking back at my list of the books I read this year I have a few standouts. I likely have some recency bias but I really enjoyed Hernan Diaz’s two books- In The Distance and Trust. Both are incredibly well-written. Of the two I think I’d recommend Trust more, as some of my friends may not enjoy the story in the earlier book. But they’re both great.

The cover of the book Trust
cinema speculation by quentin tarantino

I’d also recommend any of the Ray Celestin books in the City Blues Quartet; Outlive (although I think I’d lower my previous score- but it did have a lot to think about (maybe I’ll revisit that in a later post); and Quentin Tarantino’s Cinema Speculation.

You can see more of what I read last year under the links to my Goodreads Profile – and I think I have a widget on my About page.

Best Books (That I Read) of 22?

I was taking a look at my list of books that I read in 2022 on Goodreads. I think the two that I enjoyed most were Breath by James Nestor and Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin.

Do you have a fave or two from last year?

 

Sunset SwingSunset Swing by Ray Celestin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew I’d like this only a few pages in due to the author’s writing style. After that I just kept my hopes up that I’d stay engaged. I didn’t know it was the 4th of a series though- it was fine as a standalone novel, but now I want to get the author’s other works.

Breath: The New Science of a Lost ArtBreath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very interesting look at how we breath and how that’s changed over time. One of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while. I even try to incorporate some of the ideas in my day-to-day life during sports and meditation.

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Troubled Blood – big and entertaining

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I saw it on a list of the CWA Ian Fleming Award candidates (along with the Robatham author I had read recently…). I went in blind not knowing anything about the characters or even that the author’s name was a pseudonym – although I found that part out pretty quickly after adding it to Goodreads. But I was trying to avoid spoilers so I tried to avoid seeing anything about the story online.

I usually don’t start at #5 of a series of previously established characters- but that didn’t matter here. Good character depth and really well written.

I was a bit impatient in the middle – it’s a long book – but that’s because a lot of mysteries I read are pulp and I was thinking that this case would be solved quickly. I also read this as an e-book that’s why I wasn’t grasping that this would be that a long tale. But it was worth sticking out.


View all my reviews

July Book Updates

Book updates since the last book related post in September.

I’m not going to list every singe one that I read, but maybe some that you may find interesting. For the full lists of what I’m reading or going through, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Eat a Peach by David Chang Different from what I thought it’d be, but in a good way. Lots of interesting passages about depression, mental health issues and some behind the scenes history about stories which I thought I knew the whole picture.

Atomic Habits – 5 of 5 Stars -I found this very movitvating, especially during Quarantine

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam M. Grant
Interesting and well-written. I’m not sure I’ll do the follow up exercises to check on my personal and/or work profiles yet, but maybe at some point in the future. Looking forward to reading the author’s other work.

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Search for Freedom and Identity in New York’s Greenwich Village by Jan Jarboe Russell. New perspective and information for me about a chapters in Roosevelt’s life.

Depth Charge – by Jason Heaton – a fun adventure in the spirit of Clive Cussler

Eight Million Ways to Die: A Matthew Scudder Novel. Block really starts painting a clearer picture of Scudder’s addiction.

The Crossing – Harry Bosch #18 from Michael Connelly. I like Bosch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

American Rule – Jared Yates Sexton – a depressing quick take on America’s uglier side. A quick catchup on how we got to where we are with some “conservative thought”.

A Rage In Harlem – Chester Himes – more noir than I knew existed from an author I should have heard about before.